CHAPTER - IV
1S3
Design of the Study,Procedure and Data collection.
Introduction
There
circles
prevails
that
the
a
popular misconcept in
ultimate aim of
all
the
academic
-
learning
teaching
experiences is the transfer of knowledge, skill or information.
Be it Geography, Civics or Biology the teaching strategies
are
adopted with the above mentioned objective in mind.
A set of
teaching
Keats'
History
lessons
need not be
effective
in
wherein
teacher-dominated"
tradition in
the
importance.
individuals
Majority
possibilities
of
of
the
differences
teachers
do
is
not
not
creating such an environment in
with
a
classrooms
students are perceived.as passive listeners,
appreciating
in
teaching
"A Thing of Beauty is a joy Forever".*- Moreover
predominantly
for
techniques that prove to be very effective
the
given
explore
the
need
any
the
classes
wherein their presence and academic authority will not be in' the
forefront.
4.1.
Vague idea of appreciation
Even among English teachers,
the
teaching
scheme
there is a hazy view about
of appreciation and the place of poetry
of English language teaching.
in
the
Many of them agree that
poetry should be primarly taught for appreciation, but they are
not
clear about how to evaluate it.
In an attempt to
enhance
164
appreciation,
tests
questions
on appreciation are
included
and examinations and quite often such questions
in
the
even
do
more harm than good.
4.2
Questions on appreciation of poems
As discussed earlier»
almost all the questions test
(i)
mastery of the content of the poem
(ii)
ability to recall the facts
(iii) ability to express the facts
(iv) ability to organize ideas (as
narration, discussion)
in description,
Hence many questions are worded as shown below:-
(i)
What was the result of the poet's decision ?
How has it made a difference ?
(ii)
How did the patriot enter and how did he leave
the town ?
(iii) How will the eternal summer of the poet's
not fade ?
friend
(4)
Describe the condition of the German Jews as
described by the poet
(5)
Discuss the central idea of "After Blenheim"
However, occasionally
questions that are assumed to tfee
test the critical appreciation and judgment of the learners are
also included in the tests or examinations.
For example,
some
questions explicitly spell out the concept, as shown below.
A1
Write a critical appreciation of the poem "The Gift of
India"
A2
Write a critical appreciation of the poem "Express".
Qn 1,2,3 & A1 are quoted from H.S.C English (HL)006
Question paper March 1995 - (Gujarat Secondary Board).
(E)
(1995) 2
Venkateswarn
prescribed
be
says
"These
(prose
and
verse
for the compulsory courses in English) will have
to
studied, not from the point of view of pseudocritical or
er
critical inquiry but of imaginative and logical
Moreover
he is emphatic that "literary appreciation
taught,
students
familiarity
very
can
onlyj led
to
with a large number of
pertinent question.
pupils
comprehension".
Are we
it
by
cannot
stages,
poems".
through
This leads to
justified in expecting
to write a critical appreciation of a poem
by
When
poet may be only
they
competent
haven't
Sarojini
to
one or two poems prescribed in the
read
much
"appreciate
of
English
critically" the
poetry,
work
of
a
the
Naidu, Stephan Spender or T.S.Eliot when their familiarity
the
be
with
text?
are
a
they
poetic
genius?
4.3.
Appreciation of poetry at School Level:
Roe Betty $etal (1978)3 identify "Thinking Skills at
(i)
literal level
(ii)
interpretive level
(iii)
evaluative level
(iv)
creative level
Some of the basic components at the "evaluative
level"
. are enumerated as follows:
(a)
alertness to author's choice and use of words
(b)
recognizing fact and opinion
186
(c)
following author's.logic
(d)
recognizing propaganda techniques
(e)
evaluating author's techniques
(f)
evaluating validity of content
(g)
using knowledge and experience to think critically
(h)
evaluating author's support for generalizations and
conclusions.
Is it justifiable and fair enough to expect students
the
higher
secondary
level
to
possess
such
a
level
at
of
competency, while reading poetry in Inglish?
4.3.1
Appreciation vs analysis and judgement
students
The
interesting
analyge
the
like
or
dislike
a
poem,
or uninteresting, but may not be in a
find
it
position
to
and pin-point the reason underlying that, more so
poet's
language itself is remote from the
immediate experience.
develop
may
independent
sphere
when
of
his
As Fowler (1965) stresses "the ability to
judgement
about
literature,
to
become
sensitive to style and to tell the differences between the good,
the
wise
poor and the mediocre grows slowly and it must be based
experiences in reading, judging and discussing with
readers.
Otherwise,
they
teachers or literary critics.
tend to
accept
the
on
other
judgement
of
Appreciation - Some Common Misconcepts:-
4.4.
There
teachers
the
be
another
possible
danger
themselves are not clear about what is
students
appreciation
during
could
when
they
of a poem.
are
asked
to
write
when
the
expected
from
the
One of the Method Masters
critical
interviewed
this study feels picking out the figures of
speech
and
stylistically special features is the appreciation of the poem.
Some
write
the
language,
teachers feel that the students are
expected
summary and then comment on the suitability
title
and
figures of speech.
Some
say
to
of
the
that
the
students are expected to compare the given poem with other poems
with similar ideas or opposite ideas.
Each of these views has an element of truth in
each
it,
S Orrva
expresses criterion for appreciation of poetry.
In
but
that
A
case, it will be certainly misleading.
the
figures
of speech in a poem can be a
that does not involve much appreciation.
may
even
or
For example, identifying
mechanical
exercise
On the other hand, one
deeply appreciate a poem by responding emotionally
thinking of the figures of speech or stylistic
the technical aspects of the poem.
reiterates
that
appreciation
response to the poem.
is
the
Hence, the
without
subtleties
investigator
individual's
emotional
183
4.5
What is Appreciation ?
Morrison (1981)
4
defines appreciation as "recognition
of values" and identifies three major thrusts namely
(i)
. understanding
(ii)
the power to attach in the solution
(iii) emotional dynamics
The investigator holds the view that "Appreciation is
matter
While
of emotion" not essentially an
intellectual
a
procedure.
reading poetry, it is "the emotion that colours
thinking
and t6 a large degree acts as a co-ordinator of values'" 5
This view is supported by Bagley (1983)
and
Coffin
characteristic
(1981).®
elements
Coffin
of
holds
the
appreciation is
g
7
James (1985) 8
view
that
affection
the
-
the
feeling tone rather than cognition.
Feeling
is-
as basic
a mental•process
as
thinking
furnishes the motive not only for overt reaction but for all
and
of
the intellectual processes, as well.
4.5.1.
Different types of appreciation
(V
It is narrow view to think that appreciation is
limited
A
to sheer enjoyment.
(i)
aesthetic
(ii)
ethical and
Some writers classify appreciation as
(iii) intellectual
Some writers believe in a broad classification into
categories,
known
in
namely technical and aesthetic.
a
specific situation
whether
Yet, it cannot
be
appreciation
is
the
predominantly emotional or highly intellectual.
both
two
The presence of
influences in some degree, is necessary for
appreciation,
because as Zane (1978) defines "an appreciation is the composite
produced
when
one
places
sensory,
feeling,
intellectual evaluation upon any experience".
4.6.
and
9
Development of appreciation
Value
some
emotional
spheres.
of
appreciation development is not
It
is
essential
for
participation and social interaction.
emotional
conditioning
that
realized
efficient
in
social
Also, it is important for
in turn leads
to
attitudes
and
Moreover, appreciations! training paves the way for
the
i
ideas.
young
people
"to develop worth-rwhile interests
and
wholesome
leisure-time activities".
4.7.
Need for different techniques
Most
techniques
different
educators
to
educate
from
those
recognize
for
the
need
appreciation.
used
to
They
different
have
teach
to
be
skills
and
knowledge.
Unfortunately, educational practices adopted in
the
past
failed to distinguish appreciational
have
techniques
for
learning
other types of learning; with the result the same methods
from
which
iao
were
found to be very effective in the teaching of
factual
knowledge
Teaching
of
were applied to
language,
literature
teaching
and
of
skills
and
appreciation.
poetry
have
been
no
exception to this practice.
When
inculcate
are being1 blamed for
effectively
it
failed
towards
the
most
to
desirable
forms
and
"Appreciation
experience.
is
As
an
feeling-tones
can
be
developed
emphasizes
to
cannot
be taught
a
concrete
principally
that are associated with
Appreciation
compulsion". 10
(1971)
affective state attached
Appreciation
experience.
Kilpatric
cause
of
failure to adopt effective methods of teaching appreciation
training.
root
develop
the
pleasant
seldom realized that the
"to
is
emotional
is
having
a love for the beautiful or
attitudes
favourable
conduct"
schools
the
under
as
learning
threat
Nor can appreciation be induced through
or
formal
instruction.
4.7.1.
Training in Appreciation and the Teacher's Role
It
is
unusually
drive
difficult.
the
student
situations.
personal
responses.
this fact that makes
It
interest
training
The techer cannot
to
experience
in
appreciation
instruct,
pleasurable
is a matter of leadership
and
compel
nor
reactions
to
the
teacher's
in the process that awakeng these
desirable
191
Memorization by compulsion is not appreciation
4.8.
The teacher can assign the memorization of a poem, force
the students to master the assignment.
The teacher can
prepare
the tests that determine mastery of the verbal repetition of the
poem and to some degree the students understanding of the
The
teacher
envelopes
cannot, however determine
the activity.
the
poem.
feeling-tone
No devices are available by
that
means
of
which this can be achieved.
4.8.1.
Interplay of emotional and intellectual aspects
Wholesome
minimum
of
the
emotional.
enjoyment
intellectual
However,
appreciation
and
pleasure may
element and
the incidental or
a
require
but
.maximum
indirect
is of vital importance, specially
of
the
teaching
while
a
of
teaching
poetry.
Aesthetic appreciation, like ethical-social appreciation
involves
both emotional and intellectual qualities.
circumstances
In
with one particular individual, it is the
some
surge
of emotion while the intellect is at the back, while in another
situation
with
element in
teal
appreciation may predominate., However, the intellect^element in
appreciation
another person, the
should
not
be
equated
intellectual
with
reasoning.
"Do not touch the rainbow with reason
you may miss the colours".
cool,
deliberate
192
4.8.2.
Aesthetic appreciation and individual experience
The psychological
nature
of
appreciation
difficult
to
describes
experience, as a conditioning factor in
and
explain
also
people
establish tangible standards.
many of the
apparent
as to the manifestations.
makes
Bossing
it
(1965)^
appreciation
contradictions
among
A natural corollary would
be
the appreciational reaction, as the teacher endeavors to develop
appreciation among the students.
The
unlike
teaching of aesthetic appreciation is
the
teaching
Also,
appreciation.
of
certain
phases
the
teacher
of
of
poetry
not
greatly
ethical-social
and
aesthetic
appreciation must intelligently face the fact that there is much
divergence
in
the appreciative
experience
and
psychological
nature of the pupils.
Burton
(1964) rightly points out "The principal
motive
of the adolescent in reading literature is to gain enjoyment now
(for
the present).
The teacher's major motive too may be
that
the students enjoy literature but he may place the stress on the
students' learning to enjoy it". 12
teacher
of
idealistic
to
He further emphasizes,
literature needs to remain
at the same time.
forever
"The
practical
and
His practicality will enable
him
understand the students and to deal with them
realisticlly.
Obviously, the teacher must know both adolescents and literature
and
his admixture of practicality and idealism will enable
to bring the two into consonance".
13
him
193
What
realities
can literature do for adolescents?
of
the classroom be so manipulated
How
that
will have the best chance of doing these things?
can
the
literature
These are
the
constant and interlocking questions.
4.9.
Expectations of the adolescents
What
do
adolescents
want
out
of
life,
from
the
activities in the classroom? Some excitement and thrill perhaps,
some
challenge, something that appeals to their
emotions
something that excites their
curiosity.
they also expect some opportunity to interact
these,
peer
and
interests
group,
to discuss, to try, to convince
one
and
Beside
with
the
another,
to
explore and look forward to express their views.
Are
view
to
there any poems written for the adolescents with
appeal
practical.
written
to their interests and emotions?
Grammar
for
exercises or vocabulary
the
teacher
activities
who, through proper choice
is
exercises
them, articles, stories and novels can
keeping in mind the adolescents’ interests.
It
be
can
a
not
be
written
As for poetry, it: is
and
suitable
methods cmd-
should make poetry alive and bring it closer to
the
adolescent world.
Taking
techniques
were
all these into consideration, certain
developed
which
classrooms without much difficulty.
can
be
adopted
practical
in
Indian
194
4.9.1
Students' Indifferent Attitude towards the study
of English
Another
as
at
point that has to be taken into
consideration,
far as the study is concerned with the teaching of
the
Higher Secondary level in Gujarat
is
the
English
indifferent
attitude towards the study of English, though it is a compulsory
subject.
Moses (1994) 14 enumerates the following observations
1.
Std XI itself is viewed as a stop gap arrangement
S.S.C (Std X) and H.S.C.(Std.XII), the
pupil's
career.
not take their
2.
Promotion
very
between
two milestones
Many students themselves admit
they
in
do
studies seriously in Std XI.
rules specified by the Gujarat Board
lenient and very rarely any student
are
is detained
also
in
Std XI.
3.
At the end of Std.XII, when the percentage is
for
the purpose of admissions to
language
the
marks are not
counted.
calculated
professional
courses,
This adversely
affects
student's attitudes and they show very little or
no
interest towards the study of all languages and English is
yto happy exception to this.
4.
Even
for the high scorers, the motivation in the form
prizes and awards is less compared to
many
other subjects.
schools, there are separate prizes for
the
subjects and Mathematics but not for the languages.
of
In
science
195
Moreover, in order to save on the time for
for examinations, they resort to the
ready-made
question-answers
given
preparation
summaries, paraphrases and
in
the
"Guides".
These
suffice, they argue, because many questions are repeated in
the
consecutive
the
content.
not
examinations and generally
they are based
Hence, the students in general and teachers
on
also
do
appreciate individual perception and interpretation, be
it
prose or poetry.
4.10. Backdrop of the Study
l
With
a deep understanding and awareness of the present
state of the English teaching at the Higher Secondary level
Gujarat,
in
the investigator set out to make an indepth study and
investigation of the teaching of English poetry and this formed
the first phase of the study.
in five distinct phases.
Phase
I -
In all, the study was conducted
They are as under:
A survey of the existing condition of the teaching
of
English Poetry in the Higher Secondary
classes
in English medium schools.
Phase -II -
Preparaing
a
set
of
techniques
for
English poetry in the Higher Secondary
teaching
classes.
Phase III - Preparation of the Instructional Materials.
Phase
Phase
IV - Implementation/Try out of the Techniques.
V - Data Collection and Analysis.
196
Phase
I -
Survey of the Existing conditions of Teaching
English Poetry.
This survey was undertaken with a view
(i)
to understand the relative merits
and
demetits
of the present situation.
(ii)
to
i >
prevoJun­
pin-point the inadequacies in the^ method
of
teaching English poetry.
(iii)
to
explore
the
possibilities
of
introducing
innovative methods.
(iv)
to
assess the views and
English teachers,
English
Method
other
Masters
opinions
of students,
language
teachers and
from
the Faculty
of
Education.
(v)
to
have a closer view of the
teachers' interest
and appro.ach to literature in general and
poetry
in particular.
This phase had five:dimensions as enumeratred here__
(i)
Observation
of
English
poetry
lessons
in
Secondary and Higher Secondary classes.
(ii)
Observation
of
poetry
lessons
in
Hindi and
Gujarati.
(iii)
Discussions with language teachers teaching in
Higher Secondary classes.
197
(iv)
(v)
There
Discussions with Method Masters of English
Survey of students' view
a)
through opinionnarie
b)
through discussions
were no serious administrative restraints
teachers themselves were co-operative.
them
as
Moreover, almost all of
were confident about their methods and approach and
prepared
to
the
answer any question without
much
were
inhibition
or
hesitation.
The
observations
of
the
poetry
lessons
and
the
discussions enable the investigator to have an idea of
(i)
the attitude of the teachers towards teaching of poetry
(ii)
teachers' expectation from the students.
(iii) the treatment given to poetry.
(iv)
classroom interation during poetry lessons.
4.10.1
Academic Qualifications of English Teachers
Since
Higher
Secondary
some of the classes at the secondary level were^taken
consideration for the purpose of observation of
lessons.
level
level precedes the
oJUo
level,
into
Secondary
Also,
teachers
and their views,
given due consideration.
poetry
teaching English at the secondary
observations and practices are
also
In some schools the teachers at the
193
Higher
Secondary
Similar
level also teach at the
secondary
conditions prevail in the poetry classes,
level.
be it
at
the secondary or higher secondary level.
It
was
quite
surprising that many
of
the
teaching English have not specialized in English
Some
are
Economics,
literature.
graduates or post-graduates in Arts subjects
like
History, some have specialized in commerce.
Even
in Higher Secondary classes,
by
teachers
English poetry is being
taught
teachers who have their specialization in other branches.
Nevertheless they are very confident about their teaching and
they
say
poetry.
that
Though
they do not have
any
problem
teaching
they do not read poetry otherwise,
not find teaching of English poetry difficult.
if
in
poems are simple and easy to understand,
they do
But they feel
their
students
like them better.
4.10.2
Introduction of the poem
There was no proper introduction at all.
Almost all of
them read out the introduction on the life of the poet
in
the
textbook.
Climate
textbook
given
They did not feel the need to create an
in
the
appropriate
for the poem; there was no warming up before the
was introduced.
elicited
and the brief summary also
given
poem
However, in one or two rare cases the teachers
certain
responses from the students leading
to
the
theme or mood of the poem and this approach had a better impact
on the class.
193
4.10.3.
Reading of the poem
Some read the whole poem before discussing or explaining.
Some teachers "fragmented" the poems into smaller section#; some
took
up stanza by stanza; some two or three lines at
Many
ignored the punctuation and the pauses were
a
not
time.
proper.
Many paused at the end of each line ignoring the run-on
On
the
whole, many have not realized the
initial
reading of the poem.
importance
lines.
of
the
During the discussions this
was
confirmed because many teachers expressed their view that
mere
reading of the poem doesn't help in understanding and it is the
explanation that enhances the understanding.
4.10.4
Appreciation of the poem
For many teachers,
finding out the figures of spe
a poem is appreciating the beauty of the poem.
the
in
Some feel as
poem is being explained the figures of speech should
pointed
speech
Many
out,
be
while some other teachers feel that figures of
should be taken up only after the poem is
teachers discuss the questions given in the
completed.
text
book
thoroughly.
4.10.5
Classroom Interaction during poetry lessons
On
Gujarati
the
whole, poetry
classes in
are teacher-dominated.
English, Hindi
The students are
used
and
to
200
this
and are quite at ease to be passive listeners and takejk
down notes.
Some teachers dictate notes (paraphrasing three
or four lines in the poem).
and
meanings
pages
of
Students are busy writing notes
and hardly read the words of
the textbooks are covered
explanation,
lines
marked
for
with
the
poem.
notes,
"Reference
The
teacher's
to
Context
questions".
Sometimes
instructions
stanza",
the
like
teachers
themselves
give
"Underline the second line in
specific
the
third
"Mark the last two lines - they contain the central
idea of the poem."
"Mark the line beginning with......
for
reference to context" etc.
4.10.6
Use of Blackboard during poetry classes
The
the
Blackboard was sparingly used except
meanings,
key
words
for
discussion
for
or
writing
spellings
(especially for figures of speech).
Menon
and
Patel
(1963)
criticised such an approach.
is
have
very
emphatically
According to them, "The teacher
largely concerned with a minute examination of words
and
phrases and sometimes with the historical details of the poet
and the poem.
This makes up the usual poetry lesson."
15
201
On
create
the
whole it was obvious very little was
done
to
interest in poetry and students were not motivated to
interpret poems but had been trained to rely on the teacher's
interpretations.
English
poetry,
In
other
words in the name
teachers
have
"replaced"
of
teaching
poetry
with
paraphrase and have come in between the words of the poet and
the readers, namely the students in this case.
4.10.7
Opinion of the students regarding poetry lessons
The
next
dimension#
of
this
phase
of
study
was
collecting the opinions and views of the students studying in
Higher
Secondary
classes
in English
medium
schools.
An
opinionnaire was prepared by the investigator with a view
to
find out
(i)
the pupil's preference
(ii)
likes/dislikes regarding poetry and poetry classes,
(iii)
the
views
of the pupils
regarding
the
choice
of
poetry in the prescribed text books.
(iv) pupils concept of teaching-learning poetry.
Choice of Tool for Data Collection:-
The opinionnaire is considered to be "the most flexible
of
tools
in
collecting both quantitative
information" (Sidhu 1984). 16
and
qualitative
In order to make the
students
feel
at ease and express their views freely,
systematically
and without any undue hesitation or inhibition on their
this
tool was selected.
part
Taking into consideration the
and maturity level of the students,
age
this was found to be the
most practical tool to collect varied data.
4.10.8
The Components of the pupils' Opinionnaire
The opinionnaire consists of 14 statements, wherein the
students
will
indicate
their choice between
two
distinct
alternatives.
(1)
I agree
ended
(2)
I do not agree.
There are
two
open-
questions at the end arid the space is provided for the
pupils' response.
Question
experience,
follows
span
of
reads
as
all these years you have been taught poetry
by
regarding
"In
different
III draws from the students' entire
teachers,
teaching
of
poetry.
It
has any teacher ever used
method/technique other than explanation
and
a
different
discussion?
If
so, please describe briefly how poetry was taught". They were
told that if they did not remember specific details about the
[.
title
of the poem or the poet's name,
that did not
matter.\
There was no need to mention the name of the teacher, if they1
were hesitant to do so.
203
Also,
students
the
to
next
express
section
any
VI
of their
gives
views
ample
and
regarding the teaching of poetry (Appendix ‘c J
4,10.9
scope
for
impressions
).
Samples:-
The opinionnaires were given to students of the
Secondary
English
period
Section
(Class XI and XII) studying in
medium schools in Baroda at different times
of
two
years.
In all there were
classes involved in this step.
Table 4.1 (a) and Table 4.1 (b).
Table 4.1.(a)
Classes
No.of Students
1
43
2
35
3
32
4
35
5
38
6
28
7
39
Total
250
Table 4.1.(b)
Sexwise
Break-up
No.of Boys
139
No of Girls
111
250
seven
Higher
different
over
a
different
The details are as shown
in
204
The
administration
of
the opinionaire was
experience for the teachers and the students.
were
excited
a
The
because for them it was the first
unique
students
time
their
views and opinions were given importance.
From the Data collected, the percentage was calculated.
Phase IX - Preparing & seh
o£
Techniques
£on
teaching English
Poetry In the Higher Secondary Classes.
This is one of the crucial steps involved in the design
of
the
study.
students
and
Based
certain
on the survey of the
psychological
views
of
considerations,
the
sons
e
techniques were involved.
It
was
learnt through the opinionnaire,
observations
and
students
well as the teachers,
as
through
informal
through
tbs
with
the
discussions
that poems
were
always
^xplained by the teachers and there was very little scope for
the
individual
students
interpreting
the
teachers accepting and appreciating students
poem
not
the
interpretations
when they are different from those of the teachers.
This
observation was further confirmed by the students
response to the opinionnaire.
Item
follows:
No.9
&
10 of the
Pupils'
Opinionnaire
read
as
9.
Our teacher explains every line in the poem.
A total of 235 students have agreed with the statement.
This accounts for a sizable 94% (235/250) of the population
involved.
A
meagre 6% (consisting of 15
students)
have
responded negatively (I don't agree).
10.
If
I interpret the poems differently,
encourages/appreciates
it. 20.4% (51 of
our
the
teacher
respondents)
agree with the statement while 79.6% have not agreed with it.
4.11
Facilitating Imagination through Individual Perception
"The
learner
should
be
capable
of
independent
and
responsible judgement, creative not only in his chosen
subject
but
becomes
an
also in his personal relationships.... so that he
increasingly enriched and mature individual" observes
(1980).
17
Through
children,
she
potential
means
faculties".
'
her practical experiments
emphasizes that the arts have
to "rediscover and
educate
on
the
Mock
school
the
direct
the
imaginative
By arts she refers to visual arts.
Needless
and
to
say,literature, specially poetry has similar potentials.
While teaching any poem, this aspect has to be taken into
consideration.
reinforce
their
children".18
As
Vij
(1986)
stresses
faith in the immense
"Teachers
creative
should
potential
of
206
‘
If
the teaching of poetry has to be creative, it has
take into consideration the individual differences in
and
attitudes.
the
same
interest
Creativity and individuality are two sides
coin.
Is there any: scope to
cater
to
to
of
individual
differences of the pupils, however little it may be, within the
rigid set-up in our educational institutions?
Since "poetry is a fluid, dynamic and negotiable medium",
there is immense scope for practical possibilities if there
some " creative readjustment".
is
The present study is an attempt
in this direction.
4.12.
Psychological need for recognition among adolescents
Carroll
teaching
do
(1966)
not
19
criticizes that
take the support of
studies
other
in
language
related
fields.
Studies in teaching - learning poetry must take the support
the theories and findings in fields like linguistics, arts
psychology.
torrent
into
the
Psychologists compare adolescence to
a
and the immense youthful vigour should be
healthy, creative productive activities.
of
and
mountain
channelised
Hence,
Higher Secondary Classes there is a great need
for
during
"more
student-centered, autonomous" activities.
While
Action?
of
propagating
"The
Minimal
Teaching
"Brumfit and Johnson (1979) advocate "the
learner
independence from the teacher, but
dependence among the learners".^®
Strategy
in
development
mutual
inter­
207
The
adolescent need to interact with the members of
the
peer group, to be allowed the freedom of expression in front of
the peer group, to be able to gain the approval and recognition
is very strongly felt by many sensitive teachers.
classes
with
stipulated
a
heavy syllabus to
be
But in large
completed
within
time schedule, this strong need of the
the
adolescents
is not taken care of.
4.12.1
Poetry lessons and individual differences
Moreover a meanignful lesson in poetry must cater to
individual differences among the learners,
range)
Hence
the
investigator
(within
strongly
the
permissible
feels
that
by
introducing certain preliminary guidance the students should be
led
to
the
poem,
interpretations.
but
Rao
not
(1985)
be
fed
analyses
on
the
teachers'
"the
persistent
dissatisfaction among learners"1 in spite of decades of research
and
means
stresses
of
adapting
learner". 21
teaching
“Attention needs to be focused on the
The
teaching
to the
specific
needs
focus should shift from the teacher
process to the learner and the
ways
factors
and
of
the
and
the
facilitating
learning in a meaningful way.
Taking into consideration all the observations enumerated
here and the theoretical and basic concepts involved therein, a
set of new techniques for teaching English poetry at the Higher
Secondary
evolved.
level in the English medium schools of Gudarat
were
£03
4.13
Basic concepts underlying the new techniques
Some of the basic concepts and considerations
underlying
the new techniques are discussed below.
1. Maslow
(1974) has distinguished two types
of
creativity
viz:
(i)
Special talent creativeness (possessed by few
people
- poets,artists,scientists)
(ii) Self-actualizing creativeness (potentially
attainable
by virtually any persons) 22
The techniques developed in the present study are based
on the second type of creativity mentioned above.
words,
In
these methods accept and acknowledge the
other
creative
P.Q&ential that is present, in every student.
2.
Golann (1963)
23
has very explicity said that we
creative individuals on the basis of the
create.
An
products that they
alternate task is to focus on the
which creative ideas or
identify
Process
artifacts are produced.
The techniques used on the present study focus on
process
learners.
that
nurtures
by
the
creative
potential
Traditionally teaching of almost all the
of
the
the
school
subjects, including literature, focus on the products not on
the process of learning.
creative
strategies
thinking
are
In order to enhance creativity and
in the learners,
the
re^iegiried and the process
given due importance.
teaching-learning .
of
learning
is
3.
Creativity
involves
imaginative
the
divergent
responses.
production
innovative
and
game-like,
permissive settings, some pupils
of
In non-evaluative,
may
respond
creatively, while some may respond creatively when
specific
tasks are assigned to them.
These tasks are designed so
as
to trigger off the creative potential in the individual.
The
techniques used in the present study
enhance
appreciation
imaginative
climate
responses
provided
a
through
divergent.innovative
of. individuals.
conducive,
endeavor
And
to
and
the
classroom
non-evaluative,
game-like
permissive atmosphere.
4.
Klein (1963)
in groups
24
observes that for successful
learning
among adolescents, all members should have access
to the resources and all should be able to contribute.
Klein also says that ideas have two aspects viz
aspect
and a value aspect.
Some ideas are
a fact
concerned
with
easily verifiable matters of facts; the exchange of ideas is
almost
Facts
an exchange of items of fact (information
are impersonal.
Discussions do not alter
exchange)
the
given
facts.
On
value
the
other hand, some ideas
concern
judgements
of
or statements of preference or interpretation. There
is
no
way
of
persuade
Hence
verifying these ideas, one' can
others.
these
tenaciously
Values
ideas
held
and
preferences
are often more
than
mere
only
are
deeply
facts.
hope
personal.
felt
These
to
and
can
more
lead
to
expressive.task-related interaction..
Technique#
(working
pupils
title
namely
suggesting
an
in pairs) aims at task-related
wherein
personal
C
based on their
alternate
title
interaction
among
individual
judgements
and
preferences, each individual student arrives at
(step 1) and tries to persuade the partner about
a
the
suitability of the title that he or she has selected.
4.14. Grounds for the Development of the Methodology and
Selection of the Suitable Instructional Materials
As
Taylor
(1973) has pointed out "The teacher
the
has
to
face the issue of how to pitch his material at the right
level
to
needs
and
interest pupils and make it appear relevant to their
to engage them in learning.
Some adjustments
of
and level may be necessary, as may the re-thinking of
content
teaching
methods so as to maximize the chance of pupils becoming
up and carried along".
It
perhaps
more
practical
following
26
was also felt that “some ruthlessness may
.....
in discarding habitual methods and
work
points
of
caught
to
gain
pupils'
be
introducing
involvement"
consideration formed the
needed
basis
27
'
The
of
the
development
of methodology and the selection of
the
suitable
instructional materials.
(i)
Teacher's perceptions of pupils' interests.
(ii)
Purpose of teaching the course.
(iii)
The learning situation
(iv)
Pupils interests and attitudes
(v)
Criteria for judging and evaluation.
The
learning situations to be created and the degree
of
pupils interest fostered will be determined by an interplay
of
all the above - mentioned factors as shown in the figure below.
Fig.4.1
"TEACHERS
PERCEPTION OF
Pupils' intp
Purpose of teaching
TH-E COURSE
TH-E
LEARNING
SITUATION
criteria
FOR
EVALUATION
Pupils'
A-NiD
interests
ATT! TUiDES
As observed by Brumfit (1978) "Inadequate and superficial
treatment, generally paid to English teaching is largely due to
lack of learner-centered methodology and little sensitivity for
learners freedom to " interact, interpret and produce".
Natraj
(1989)
through
her
28
experimental
studies
advocates the advantages of active pupil participation in group
work
where
"learners
another's
strong
learners".
29
meet and mutually
points
Similar
and
compensate
deficiencies
for
as
psychological advantages can
one
language
be
gained
when learners are given the freedom to work in pairs.
As
visualized
by
Wills
(1993)
"The
mixture
of
individual, pair and group should add variety as well as ensure
maximum participation".
Thinking
certain
Higher
on
techniques
Secondary
30
these
lines,
the
investigator
suitable for teaching
English
Classes (English Medium)in
developed
poetry
Gujarat.
in
These
techniques have the following features.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
learner-centered.
motivate the learners to read the poem.
ensure minimum interpretation and explanation from the
teachers.
ensure maximum pupil participation
allow a great degree of individual freedom "to
interact to interpret and to produce" (Brumfit)
creative and challenging.
have scope for interaction among pupils.
2.13
When
the
term
technique is used in
this
stands for "a procedure used in the classroom.
the
narrowest
term,
meaning one single
context,
it
A technique
is
procedure,
while
method consists of a number of techniques probably arranged
31
a specific order
Trivedi
"the
return
modification
teaching
some
field
of
literature
some
in
the
classroom
of the old concepts
poetry
required
operating
in
the
methodologies and the introduction, in one sense,
new
of
in
as Hubbard et al (1987) define it.
(1991) reminds the teachers of English
of
a
concepts-not new in the teaching world
but
in
literature teaching - and suggestions about
plan this teaching in a meaningful manner"
how
of
the
to
32
4.14.1 Preparation and Selection of Techniques
Six
techniques
were enlisted and
after
the
Pre-Pilot
Study, three were selected, modified and adapted for the
final
experiment.
The six techniques that were tried out during the pilot
study were:
1.
Teaching through parallel poems.
2.
Completing the poems.
3.
Rewriting the last three or four lines
(Changing the tone of the poem)
4.
Left alone with the poems.
5.
Suggesting a title to the poem (working in pairs)
6.
Introducing poems through similar ideas.
214
Maley and Moulding (1985) strongly advocate the
writing
stress
poems.
"The
students
In the introductory note to the students
process of composing poems, especially if
they
it
is
done in groups, leads to real discussion, about something
that
matters
ways
to you.
It also allows you to try out different
of
saying the same thing.
of
words
language
and
And to make different
sentences.
This
process
of
combinations
"playing"
is important in developing your confidence
in
with
using
However, during the pilot study,the investigator observed
a lot of disparity in the level of the students, when they were
made to complete the poem or rewrite the last lines of the poem
altering the tone or the mood of the poem (Techniques 2 and 3)
Moreover,
itself.
complete
in
Adding a few lines as part of a classroom exercise
or
altering
not
a
poem
is like
an
individual
the tone or changing the mood under
compulsion
will
add to the beauty of the poem nor allow it to remain
with
its individuality and uniqueness intact.
It is true that every poem belongs to its reader, but the
readers
do
perfection
not
of
create a poem.
have
words,
the
right
to
upset
meanings and rhythm,
or
put
distort
together
the
to
215
At
school
level,
the students
have
the
shortcomings
namely limited vocabulary and inadequate grasp over the
beauty
of
language and its intricate usuage and the delicate
balance
of
both.
writing
poetry.
Every student may not have the
flair
for
Hence, the investigator, felt it wasn't fair to
Higher
Secondary
students to write like
Kamala
expect
Das,
Robert
Southefry or Robert Frost not' to expect them to alter the
poems
£•
panned by such great poets.
Some
effect
of the students could write the lines,
was that of a patchwork.
though
the
could
get
Very few students
the feel of the original poem and could successfully
it in their own lines.
recapture
But for the majority of the students it
was a painstaking effort, far from an enjoyable experience.
. Writing poems may be a very effective way of learning
appreciate
never
the
language of poetry, but as the
students
with
have
been exposed to such an experience before, specially
the second language they are very apprehensive and ill at
that.
differed
Moreover the time taken
so
by
individual
to
in
ease
students
much that it was difficult to work out. the
next
step for all at one time.
In
other
order words, these techniques proved to
difficult
for
difficult
to
the
present level of
be administered.
the
students
Similarly when
be
rather
and
were
students
were
asked to suggest a title to the poem without ..letting them
the
original
title
given
by the poet,
some
found
challenging to be accomplished within the short time
know
it
too
allotted.
Hence this technique was modified, i.e. the original title
was
given
and
and the students had to suggest an alternate
title
justify it, then discuss with the partner and finally decide on
one.
Here again, students were free to modify the title,
they
had thought of in the light of the discussion with the partners
or stick on to the same title.
After the modifications in the light of the pilot
three techniques were finalized for the experiment.
study,
They are
Exploring the poem with the help of given questions
Introducing the poem through parallel ideas
Suggesting an alternate title (working in pairs)
This
the
is in the order of the level of guidance
by
Technique A, namely Exploring the poem with
the
help of given questions, the path of exploration is mapped
out
by
but
teacher.
given
the teacher and the students follow the path
(not
as per their individual level of understanding)
words,
they
are
led to the poem in an attempt
answers to the given questions.
to
blindly
In
find
other
the
217
In Technique B, teachers' guidance is..still less and
students'
namely
independent interaction is more and in
Suggesting an alternate title, wherein
the
Technique
"the
C
students'
interdependence" is enhanced and the "teacher - dependence
"is
minimized.
4.14.2
Steps involved in the administration of the techniques
Technique A: Exploring the poem with the help of given
questions.
Step 1:
Reading of the poem by the teacher (Students
listen without following the written text)
Step 2:*
Reading of the poem by the teacher (Students
listen following the written script of the
poem)
Step 3:
Students read the poem (Individual silent reading)
Step 4:
The sheets with the questions (prepared by
the
investigator) are given to the students and the
time is specified.
Step 5:
Students read the poem and answer the questions.
The teacher moves around the class and offers help
to individual students only when approached **
Also if students discuss with one another, it is
it is/not discouraged.
♦This step (step-2) can be repeated at the discretion of
the teacher.
** The teacher may help the students in understanding the
poem but does not give answers to the questions.
2:18
Step 6:
When
the stipulated time limit is over or
more
than
half
the class
has
when
completed
the
answers the "Test" sheets are distributed. While
. writing
; keep
the test, the students are
allowed
to
the sheets of question-answers as well
as
the copies of poem with them.
If they refer
to
poem or to the answers they had written
or
made any changes in the answers in the light
of
A
i the
further reading, they
B:
are
not discouraged.
Introducing the poem through parallel ideaJ-
Technique
(leading to the theme)
Step 1:
Reading
aloud by the teacher-the quotations
extracts
the
•8©
expressing parallel ideas
leading
theme of the poem to be studied.
follow
the written words
from
or
to
Students
the
copies
,given to them.
Step
2:
Teacher
comments
different
teacher
initiating
similar
the
discussion,
observations,
view- points,
inviting
questions,
illustrations.
has to be cautious that the
(The
discussion
does not side track nor dominated by any biased
view).
219
'
Step 3:*
Teacher
reads
the poem
and
students
listen
without looking at the printed words.
Step 4:*
Teacher
,
reads the poem and students listen
and
follow the printed words.
i
Step 5: '
Students read the poem silently
Step 6:
Two or three students read [aloudj the poenr^
Step 7: ;
Test-sheets with the questions for the test
distributed and the students
are
complete the test
in stipulated time.
Technique; C : Suggesting an alternate title to the poem
(working in pairs).
Step
Teacher reads the poem twice while the
listen without referring to
Step 2:
students
the printed words.
Teacher reads the poem twice while the
students
follow the words in the printed sheets.
Step 3: !
Step 4:**
Students read the poem individually
Each student suggests an alternate title to
poem and Justifies it in two or three
the
sentences
(written work by individual students)
Step 5:** Students . compare
the titles with that
of
the
partners and discuss, each trying to Justify his
or her own title.
*Step 3 and 4 can be repeated, if the teacher feels the need.
Step 2 is very essential, it is the warming up.
It creates
the right kind of atmosphere when the poem gains deeper
meaning and appeal. Also, if some students prefer to write
down their comments, they are encouraged to do so.
** At times, during steps 4 and 5 some students would like to
show the titles to the teacher for approval or suggestion.
The teacher does not supply the title but discusses and
eliciting the response from the students themselves.
Step 6:
At the end of the discussion, each student#
i decides on the title which he feels, is the most
appropriate. He may
(i)
(ii)
Modify his title after the discussion
(iiii)
Accept the title given by his partner
(iv)
Step 7 :
Stick on to his, without any change
or both decide on a common title
Test sheets are distributed and the students
do
the test.
Even during this stage,if they 7>3ake
changes in the title, they are not discouraged.
4.15. Administration of the Tests
In
questions
poem
the
each; case, the test consists of five multiple
choice
that are framed so as to make the students read
again.
memory
In other words the test is not aimed
but
it tests the reading
and
at
the
testing
comprehension
for
appreciation.
The administration
of the tests, differs from the
traditional
tests.
(i)
The test is administered immediately after the
teaching­
learning of the poem.
(ii)
The students are allowed to refer to the poem even while
writing the tests.
(iii) There is no need to memorize the name of the
title, sequence of events etc.
poet,
the
221
(iv)
The
test
is
an
extension of learning
process,
hence,
students are allowed to revert back to the earlier steps
of
the: activities
devised
to
facilitate
learning.
Students learn through the tests also.
(v)
In order to answer certain questions, the students
to
refer
to the poem.
impossible
In other words, it
is
have
almost
to do the test without having a copy of
the
poem.
(vi)
At no stage is the need for paraphrasing the poem
(vii)
The
question
very
close
as well as the items of tfie
to the words of the poem or
options
they
are
are
the
at
all
teacher
was
words, phrases or lines quoted from the poem.
4.16
Presence of the Teacher
The
stages,
more
teacher
had
to be present in
the
class
whichever technique was implemented. The
of
a facilitator because teaching itself is
"facilitation
of
learning"
(Chapter I -
defined
Definition
of
as
the
Terms).
The teacher reads the poem and it is very crucial in the
comprehension! and appreciation of the poem.
entrusted to the students.
This should not be
222
The
but
He
offers help only when
every
approached by individual
line
students.
moves around in the class when the students are engaged
their
activities.
discourage
the
teacher does not paraphrase or explain
During the stages, the
teacher
does
them if they discuss with one another.
teacher
At
he
directs the discussions, but
at
not
times,
himself joins in the discussions, as one
participants.
in
of
no
the
stage
would fee dominate the discussion.
During ; the final step i.e. when the test is
the
students i should be instructed not to discuss
conducted,
with
their
friends nor ask the teacher for any explanation.
4.17
Phase III - Preparation of the Instructional Materials
The instructional materials used in this study are from
two sources:
(1)
Some were selected by the investigator
(2)
Some were prepared by the investigator
This
step
was
a
crucial
step
and
it
was
also
a
i
challenging
experience.
What raw materials are
to
are
order
instructional: materials
effective,
care
should
be
to education.
taken
instructional: materials should be used.
that
In
the
industry,
to
be
appropriate
223
In
the present study the instructional
meterials
that
-fo uy
were made use£ of were broadly of far types and hence this step
involved.
(i)
Selection of suitable poems
Cii)
Preparation of guiding question (for Technique A)
(iii) Selection and compilation of quotations, extracts
comprising the parallel ideas (for Technique B)
(iv)
Preparation of tests
4.17.1
Selection of Poems
Ci) lyjpg ot Boeing
Poems
approached
are
like
individuals
and
they
have
intelligently and with the right kind
of
to
be
emotion.
At the same time, it should be remembered "reading a poem is an
experience",
a combination of
understanding,
appreciatioi^nd
enjoyment.
Taylor
(1973)
observes
"The
teaching
context
is
constructed from considerations of subject matter-its selection
and
sequencing,
methods
to
philosophical
limited
teachers
by
be
the time to be devoted to
employed
and
the
general
teaching
criteria
and psychological. These considerations will
resources
available,
including
the
have in their proficiency with different
teaching".^
it,
the
both
be
- confidence
methods
of
224
Travers (1989)
35
language instruction.
talks about two levels of inputs in the
They are:
(i)
roughly'turned-in inputs
(ii)
finely turned-in inputs
By
roughly turned-in inputs he refers to
the
teaching
material which is slightly above the level of the students
the
finely turned-in inputs stand for the
that
are
at
the
same
level
as
the
and
teaching
materials
students"
learning
experience.
Any
blend
imputs
that
of
-
text
material to be used in a class
both roughly-turned in inputs and
should
finely
some aspects that are challenging and
be
a
turned-in
some
aspects
are easy enough to be understood by the students
without
much efforts.
Thinking along these lines, the poems were selected. The
difficulty level was determined on the basis of:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
vocabulary
ideas presented
style 6f presentation
The time factor was another important criterion.
aimed
at
consecutive
This
poem.
completing
the whole procedure
at
one
time
periods were taken up for teaching longer
determined
the length of the poem and also the
It was
(two
poems).
ty^fe
of
The
themes
poems selected provided for a fairly wide range
and style of writing.
There were poems written in
traditional Istyle as well as recent free verse.
in
the
However, poems
that have many reference, allusions, extracts or long narrative
poems
were not selected for the above mentioned reasons.
or two poems from the prescribed English (H.L) textbook
One
Higher
Secondary (Std.XI and XII) classes are also included.
(ii)
of
Number
of Rooms
Since!
the rotation method was to be adopted and
a
three techniques were to be tried out, three sets of
poems
each,
had to be selected.
Though the poems
set
three
cannot
be
reduced to identical level of difficulty or interest, care
was
taken
the
that
the poems fall into a group (Set).
However,
themes of the poems fowtn the set have to be different in
to
avoid repetition that lo^wers the interest on the
the
learner
The
three sets of poems thus
selected
under:
Table 4.2
Set I
Set II
Poem 1
The Right Kind of People
Poem 2
The ways
Poem
3
i
The Road Not Taken*
Poem 1
After Blenheim*
Poem 2
My Wage
Poem 3
Punishment in kindergarten■jk
order
part
of
are
as
Set III
Poem 1
The Wish*
Poem 2
Expecting Someone
Poem 3
Brighten up the Corner where you are
.(. iii.1 Poems for
In
Ideas
addition to these above-mentioned poems, three
more
have been selected to serve us the parallel ideas (Technique B)
in Set III.
Tabel 4.3
They are as under:
Poem to be taught
Parallel Poem
1. The Wish
Character of a Happy Life
2. Expecting Someone
Pratiksha (Hindi)
3. Brighten up the
Just as I am
Corner where you are
Cyclostyled
copies of all the poems were given
to
the
students only after the initial reading by the teacher.
4.17.2
Instructional Materials Prepared by the Investigator
(a) Preparation
of
Guiding
Questions
(to
be
used
for
Technique A-Exploring the poem)
"To
explore" is “to travel into or through, for
of (geographical) discovery".
uncharted
purposes
If a poem can be compared to
territory, each reader is an explorer in his or
an
her
*The poems marked with an * are selected from the English (H.L)
Text Books of Higher Secondary Classes (Gujarat State Board of
School Text Books) Gandhinagar
227
own
capacity
and
the
questions in
his
hand
are
like
the
t
guidelines prepared by an experienced traveller who has already
travelled in that territory.
"To
questions
explore
is not to be led by hand.
These
guiding
serve as traffic directions that make sure that
the
explorers do not go off the track.
These
that
the
individual learner is made to read the poem and respond to
the
words of the poet and "create" meaning out of the lines of
the
poem
questions
are
worded
in such
a
and associate it with his own perception.
way
Nothing
comes
between him and the poet and his words.
These
questions
are not mere
They are not always descriptive.
comprehension
questions-
More time is spent in reading
the poem and not in writing the answers.
Providing clues and hints through questions
Some
of
the
questions are
comparable
to
the
provided in the game of "Treasure-Hunt". They make the
explorer thirik on the lines given by the clues.
clues
reader/
This leads
to
a greater appreciation and deeper understanding of the poem.
i
(ii) Preparation of Materials for Parallel Ideas
This
Technique
material
B,|
namely
was
made
use
introducing the
of
while
poem
implementing
through
parallel
ideas.
These ideas have been mostly in the form of
and extracts
quotations
taken from the books dealing with various
themes
from Psychology [of. Literature.
Nature q£ the questions
These;were not conclusive statements, but ideas that are
expressed
students.
in such a way as to spark off discussion
Here
among
again the teacher's resourcefulness
the
plays
a
vital role in directing and co-ordinating the discussion.
It may be just one quotation or two or three on the same
theme.
There is no rigidity about the number nor
the
length
of the quotations or extracts.
In
Set
III, the parallel ideas themselves are
in
the
form of poems-one in Hindi and two in English (Appendix HC).
Maley and Moulding (1985) refer to a similar process
as
"warming-up". The reading of the passage (leading to the theme)
is followed by discussion in the class.
(iii) Preparation
In
tests
ol
general
the Tests
students have a negative
attitude
and examinations. They are "bitter forms of
towards
compulsion"
which are inevitable in any student's life. Heaton (1975)
"Attitudes
towards
language testing have
confined for too long.
been
been
too
says
narrowly
Not until recently has language testing
viewed in its proper light as a potentially powerful
and
Z29
progressive
force
in teaching. Indeed the
whole
subject
testing
language opens the door not only to a closer
of
testing lan^age' opens -the door not only
the-
of
analysis
t€F _a=. closer
analysis of the testing and teaching methods involved but
also
to a better appreciation of the language being taught”.
As
many
Heaton
examinations
(1975) observes "It is unfortunate
in
testing from teaching.
the past have led to
a
that
so
separation
of
Both testing and teaching are so closely
inter-related;that it is virtually impossible to work in either
field
without
being constantly concerned with
the
other".
36
:a
However, it is fallacy to think
A
(i)
teaching should be exclusively focused on testing
(ii) tests are only for the purpose of testing or evaluation
Testing
process
of the effectiveness of
is the main purpose of any test.
remembered
learning
"Tests
and
to
teaching-learning
Still it
may be considered as devices
motivate
the students and
assessing the:students performance".
4.18
the
as
should
to
a
be
reinforce
means
of
37
Objective Tests in Language Curriculum
The questions discussed in the English poetry class©are
invariably
pattern
specific
those types that are followed in the
and
many
lines
teachers
instruct
the
for "Reference to Context"
H.S.C.
students
questions
Board
to
or
mark
for
230
figures
with
of speech.
objective
objective
The students of Gujarat are
questions
questions
only
in
literature;
with
subjects
not
familiar
they
like
associate
Mathematics,
Science and Social Studies.
However, tests in Hindi (L.L) and Gujarati (L.L) include
Multiple
the
Choice questions and one-line-answer
prose
section.
In
general they
are
questions
based
on
from
factual
information or correlating facts, not on appreciation or deeper
comprehension.
As
Heston
(1975)
has observed
"all
test
items,
no
matter, how they are devised, require candidates to exercise
subjective
judgement..... in a multiple choice test, a
a
testee
has to weigh carefully all the alternatives and select the best
.. 38
one .
4.18.1
Objective tests vs Subjective tests
The
the
common criticism raised against objective tests
study of literature is that they do not enhance
the students' abilit^to express.
the
It is
nor
in
test
partially true, but if
questions are framed in such a way, that the students
are
arui
made
return
to
read
to
objective
the
the questions^ the options over
original passage
for
further
and
and
clarification,
tests serve the objective of reading with a
and appreciative response.
over
purpose
Objective tests are frequently criticised on the grounds
that
they are! simpler to answer than subjective
examinations.
"The fact that; objective tests may generally look easier is
no
i
39
indication; at all that they are easier"
as Heaton
(1975)
indicates.
Encourage Guessing?
Another
laymen
alike
encourage
make
point of criticism that many educationists
raise
gueissing.
against
objective
tests
is
that
It is proved that candidates very
wild guesses; the majority base their guesses on
knowledge.
each
Also,
item,
it
if there are four or five
is sufficient to
reduce
and
they
rarely
partial
alternatives
the
for
possibility
of
guessing.
4.18.2
Construction of tests
To
overcome the possibility of guessing and
independent
"each
thinking
and comprehension, care was
reasonably
and
plausible;" and the stem should convey
enough
and
motivation
which
indicate the basis on
ensure
taken
distracter or incorrect option is
to
to
that
afctrative
information
the
correct
option should be selected.
As
even
the
question
far
as possible, the words and
phrases,
sometimes
lines from the poem were quoted in the stem
as well as the options.
This is to ensure
of
the
that
the
students are motivated to read the poem again and again.
232
Moreover,
students
items
were "constructed in such a
way
obtain the correct option by direct selection
that
rather
than by the elimination of obviously incorrect options and each
l
distracter
Would "appear right to any testee who is unsure
of
i
the correct option".
Each test had five such carefully prepared items and the
test
was administered at the end of the period-
earlier,
it
anything
from memory.
refer
to
writing
is
not
necessary for
the
students
mentioned
to
recall
They were allowed to read the poem
the lines of the poem as often as they
the :test.
As
like,
and
while
In fact, such tests are more meaningful
if
the students iare encouraged to have the copy of the poem before
them. Testing is an integral part of teaching-learning as
as
appreciation of the same.
well
But students weren't allowed
to
discuss with lone another at this point.
4.18.3 Evaluation
As
suitable
clarified in Chaper I (Limitations of the
methodology
for evaluating
the
students'
study)
response
during the learning process namely:
(i)
Individual response to the questions for exploration
(Technique A)
(ii)
Oral aind written response to the parallel ideas
(Technique B)
(iii)
The titles suggested the justification provided
discussion with Partners (Technique C)
do old
not
developed-
a
233
However?,
the
aim
was ; to
encourage
maximum
pupil
i
participation ! in
individual
the
the poem
and
to
to
enhance
the
intermediate source of interpretations and paraphrasing by
the
without
with
classes and
minimise
teacher.
interaction
English poetry
The! students were encouraged to appreciate the
any
!fear or inhibition of wrong answers.
poem
Hence
the
I
individual
student
responses were
diverse
originality ini thinking and interpreting.
reflecting
their
This enhances
their
appreciation add fosters the individual differences within
classrooms
and the rigid procedural norms.
As
Barnes
the
(1971)
stresses "The function of a piece of poetic writing is to be an
object
that pleases and satisfies the writer and the
|
40
response is to! share the satisfaction".
reader's
If pupils are instructed by an adult and they are forced
t
to
be passive! recipients with very little or no
provision
to
interact with the poem individually, there is very little scope
for "sharing the satisfaction” that was originally the
Gagne
poet's.
(1967) points out "When we encourage a teacher to
.adapt
i
in this way to individual differences (proceeding on the
of
basis
the impression and adaptation too is intuitive without
explicit
theory)
we
are
asking
him
to
function
any
as
a
clinician" . ^ !
The
investigator
drawing
on
English
poetry
colleagues
Sanskrit-
her
1
had
to
function
first hand personal
at
teaching
various
poetry
as
a
experience
levels and
in English,
also
"clinician"
of
that
Hindi,
teaching
of
other
Gujarati
or
234
However, the very concept of answering the questions for
test
with the copy of the poem in front of them
or
multiple-
choice items in a language test was new to the students.
4.18.4
Time allotted for the test
The
students
initially felt that it would be
easy
write an objective test of multiple choice items, because
would
not have to write long, descriptive
answers.
to
they
However,
later on after taking up the tests, they said "Such tests
look
easy,
poem
but not so easy as we thought.
We had to read the
or some lines of the poem several times before we could
at the answer.
arrive
Nevertheless, it was a novel experience for
us
and we enjoyed it".
The time allotted for the test ranged from 10-12 minutes.
There
and
testing
items,
earlier
titles)
the
have been several instances wherein the
went hand in hand i.e. while answering
students referred not only to the poems,
exercise (Questions for Exploring the
and
modified
them
in
the
light
learning
the
but
the
Poern^ Alternate
of
the
understanding and appreciation that was brought in by the
itself.
test
deeper
test
235
4.19
Orientation of Teachers taking, part in the experiment
Three
conduct
teachers were selected and oriented in
the
experiments.
(M.A)
in
All the three
graduate
degree
Teaching
of English as one of the Special Methods
B.Ed. training programme.
through
English:and
teachers
they
order
hold
had
to
post
opted
for
during
the
All the three teachers have
studied
English medium during their,shool and college
courses
and all the three have taught in English medium schools in
the
i
Secondary
and Higher Secondary classes for a period
of
10-12
years.
All
the
three teachers selected for carrying
out
the
experiment are innovative and co-operative by nature. They were
oriented
by the investigator through a series of lectures
discussions
based
on the theoretical aspects
that
and
form
the
by
the
there
was
all
the
basis of the experimental study.
This
investigator.
another
phase
After
session
discussions,
was
the
of
followed by, a
observing
detailed
demonstration
the ! demonstration
discussion.
investigator and the
During
teachers
participated
with great enthusiasm and the outcomes of the discussions
mutually enriching and enlightening. :
were
4.19.1
Time allotted for the orientation . ....
All
the steps described above jtook nearly six hours
the whole.
On an average each session of discussion lasted for
20-30 minutes.
4.19.2
on
'
Discussions after each class
During
tried
out,
the actual experiment, after each technique
the respective teacher had a discussion
was
with
the
investigator regarding the practical problems or issues in
the
actual classroom situation.
4.19.3
'
Observations by the Investigator
[
Whenever the investigator was present in the class,
observations
analysis.
by
There
her formed the basis of
the
discussion
were mutually beneficial to the
teachers
the
and
as
i
well
as
present
the investigator. However, the investigator
in
all the classes. The observations by
the
was
not
teacher
involved in the experiment are discussed in a later section.
Three
in
English
groups of students st^din^ in Std.XI (SC
medium
schools in Barocta were
selected
Stream)
for
!
experiment. They were matched on the following variables.
(i)
Age
:
(ii)
Sex
i
(iii)
Total Score in SSC Examination!
(iv)
Score in English in SSC Examination
i
the
237
Since
throughout
formal
they
had
studied
in
English
Medium
their school career (right from K.G.
exposure to the language and the
Schools
classes)
learning
the
experiences
provided by the school are comparable.
Other
factors
like prescribed text
facilities,
facilities
activities
like
competitions,
available
at
home,
debates,
recitation,
material,
elocutions,
Achoot •
,
shooed assembly
library
co-curricular
essay
are
writing
„
also
of
a
comparable level in all the three groups.
The number of students in the three classes are as under:
Class A
: 43
Class B
: 47
Class C
: 63
/to administrative considerations, the entire
was
involved in the experiment and the scores of
40
class
students
selected at random were considered for the calculations.
4.21
Design of the Experiment
The
The
used
Rotation Method was used for the
experimentation.
detailed tables showing the techniques used and
are
given below. As mentioned earlier there
sets of poems used in the study.
the
poems
were
three
233
Table 4.4 Grounwise Distribution
o£.
J
Techniques
•
i
Group
SET I
SET II
Set III
4.2
Group
B
Group
Poem 1
A
B
C
Poem 2
B
c
A
Poem 3
C
A
B
Poem 1
C
A
B
Poem 2
A
B
C
Poem 3
B ;
C
A
Poem 1
B
C
A
Poem 2
C
A
B
Poem 3
A
B
C
!
Data Collection
The
qualitative.
data
collected
were
both
quantitative
The test scores were tabulated and analysed.
details are discussed in the next chapter.
I
I
and
The
239
CHAPTER IV - DESIGN OF THE STUDY, PROCEDURE
AND DATA COLLECTION
Raina
M.K
Functioning
-
Trend
-
Fourth
on
Research
in
Creative
Survey of
Research
in
Education
Report
i
Volume I (ed) Buch M.B.. NCERT, New
Delhi, 1991.
2.
Venkateswaran.S - Principles of Teaching English Vikas Publishing House Pvt.Ltd.,!New Delhi,1995. p.7
.
3.
i
Roe Betty Detal - Reading instruction in the Secondary
School - Rand Me Nally Collete Publishing Company,
Chicago 1978. p.169
4.
Morrrison
H
i
- The Practice of Teaching
English
in
the
Secondary School, University of Chicago Press,1981. p.118
5.
Ibid p.120
6.
Bagley W.C - The Educative Process, Croon Helm
Publishes,
London 1983.
7.
James- William - The Will to Believe, Longman
i
Publication, 1985.
8.
Coffin
J.H.
-Personality in the Making,
’
Nicholson
and
i
Nicholson Publishing Company, Oxford, 1981
9.
Zane
Edward
H
- Appreciation j and
Literature -
Holt,
- r
Renehart and Winston, New York 1978. p.188
•
!
.
10.
Kilpatrik
W.H
-
I
Foundation^
of
Methods,
Global
Publications, New York 1971. p.288
11.
Bossing Nelson - Teaching Appreciation, Hills and Lawrence
Publishing Company, Reading 1975
I
12.
Burton
Dwight L - Literature Study in the High Schools
j
Cox and Wyman Ltd., London, 1964. p.2
I
13.
Ibid p.22
:
-
240
14.
Moses Damayanthi S - Effective Management of Time and
Resources for Better Learning in English - Action Research
- MSU Baroda, 1994. p.22
15.
Menon T.K.N. and Patel M.S - The Teaching of English as
a
Foreign Language - Acharya Book Depot Publications,
Baroda, 1963.
16.
p.125
Sidhu Kulbir Singh - Methodology of Research in
Education
Sterling Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi,1984. p.143
17.
Mock ruth - Education and Imagination - Oxford
University
Press, 1980. p.86
18.
Vij
d.R
presented
-
Fostering
at
Creativity
National Seminar on
in
Children,
Creative
Paper
Writing
for
Children, Chandigarh, 1986.
19.
Carroll J.B - Psychology, Research and Language Teaching ELBS/OUP 1966
20.
Brumfit C.J. and Johnson K (ed) The Communicative Approach
to Language Teaching ELBS 1979.
21.
Rao Srinivasa R - Curriculum, Methods and Text Books A
Trend Report - Third Survey of Research in Education
-
NCERT 1985. p.521
22.
Maslow
(1974)
as
quoted by Smith
Leslie
Creativity among School Children - Harncourt
in
Nurturing
Publications
Sydney 1986.
23.
Golann
as
quoted
by
Gagne
Robert
M
-
Learning
and
Individual Differences - E.Merill Books, Columbus, 1967.
24.
Klein Josephine - Working with Group Hutchinson University
Library, London 1963. p.103
25.
ibid p.30